DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bob Baffert hasn’t been to Dubai since Captain Steve won the World Cup in 2001. It’s a fair assumption he didn’t come back this year just for a water taxi ride across Dubai Creek.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – One can typically start analyzing the $5 million Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night by crossing out any American horses entered in the race. In fact, not a single U.S.-based horse has won one of the 30 grass races run throughout the history of the World Cup, and only two horses have so much as finished second. But hold off on that pen, handicapper. The Americans have a fighting Sheema Classic chance this year.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – It doesn’t really compute, favoring the second-place finisher in the 2010 Secretariat Stakes over the winner of the 2010 Arlington Million. Sure, the Secretariat’s a nice race, but it’s a 3-year-old restricted, supporting feature on the Million Day card. Still, using recent form as a guide, it’s Secretariat runner-up Wigmore Hall who has the advantage over Million winner Debussy in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free on Saturday night.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The 2010 Dubai World Cup, the first World Cup held at colossal Meydan Race Course, offered racing’s first eight-figure purse and was decided by about two inches. We may be in for another close one.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – It’s been an eventful several days for trainer Mike de Kock, the South African whose total of nine wins in World Cup races is second only to the 27 that Saeed bin Suroor has amassed from 212 runners. Bold Silvano, among the top older horses in Dubai this winter, was taken out of World Cup consideration last weekend after suffering what was called a minor injury during routine morning exercise.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Fourteen horses were entered Wednesday evening in the $10 million Dubai World Cup, the crown jewel of Saturday night’s eight-stakes racing program worth $26,250,000 in prize money. View Entries >>

Everyone was pleased with their post position. All the horses are doing well.

Or so went the tale told during a typically lavish Dubai draw ceremony, held at an IMAX theater housed between the grandstand and the Meydan hotel.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Gio Ponti did not go fast enough to record a timed workout, but two-minute licked six furlongs Wednesday morning at Meydan, picking up the pace about 1,000 meters before the finish and going out 200 meters past it, according to Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement and Gio Ponti’s rider in Dubai. A two-minute lick pace is faster than a gallop but slower than full workout speed.

“I was very happy with him,” Lorieul said later Wednesday morning. “He was handling the track very well, and was within himself and on the bridle.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bob Baffert likes to nickname his horses, at least in the media. Real Quiet, for instance, Baffert called The Fish, so narrow was the colt when seen head-on.

Euroears, the horse Baffert has followed to Dubai for Saturday night’s $2 million Golden Shaheen?

“I call him The Natural,” Baffert said.

DUBAI WORLD CUP: Watch Saturday's races live, plus get video updates and free PPs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Do you, racing fan, prefer your equine star to flame brightly for one night in the sky, never to rise again? Or would you rather gaze out into the dark assured of finding your star shining steadily in its usual spot? Cast aside metaphor, and the question is this: How much do you appreciate Gio Ponti?

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 continues to play havoc with the Japanese racing schedule. On Tuesday, the Japan Racing Association announced that all April meetings at Nakayama, east of Tokyo, and at Fukushima, the track nearest to the quake epicenter, have been canceled.